I was SO excited and honored to be a guest designer for my friends Monique and Wendy! I am so glad to have met them and they live close to me too! They are Very Talented and have Awesome personalities too!

I will be going to Monique's Crop for the Cure on May 1st and hopefully some of their future events! If you are in the Sacramento - El Dorado Hills area you should definitely check them out and look me up too! I love meeting crafty friends! They are worth traveling for! If you are going to be there, say hello! The last one in October I was able to meet lots of fun ladies!

Thank you ladies for having me today!

Ok, for my project I wanted to use a New cartridge that I was able to get when Michael's had them on sale for $34. Campin' Critters! I was shocked to see it there, so I snatched it up! ( I did have a trip from my friend Justine, she also let me borrow her Pooh Font Cartridge for this layout. I usually make a lot of cards.. have been slacking in the scrapping department.

Cricut Cartridge Campin Critters

Lake Mountain scene cut at 8.5

Bear peeking behind tree cut at 8.5

Title & and shadow cut at 2

Camping trip sign cut at 3.25

Deer cut at 2.5

Bunny cut at 2

Photo Mat is 7.25 x 5.25

Cloud paper was printed on my Imagine using Best Friends Cartridge

Brown Polka Dot Paper is American Crafts

Sun cut at 2

Moose w/ camera cut at 3

Porcupine cut at 3

Campfire cut at 3

I cut three different colors of the flames

Some images were inked and white gel pen added.

I had done another tree background that was cool but didn't have room for it , so you may see it on a future project.

Thanks for stopping by..

An ENORMOUS THANKS to Monique and Wendy for asking me to be a guest designer. Ask me back anytime, perhaps cards next time!

Happy Thursday! Today happens to be our shipping day, so I thought it might be fun to give you a little peek behind the scenes on the night before ship day. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win this week's blog candy - the Elegant Cakes cartridge!! AND - check out how close we are to reaching 2500 followers. Wow! We just hit 2000 followers less than 2 months ago! So to celebrate, NEXT week's blog candy will be a special one. You all seemed to really love it the one time I did it before, so next week will be a layout designed just for the winner in their choice of theme. Be thinking about what you'd like next week if you win!

Waiting for directions to be added.

Our team has prepared over 200 kits this month, and about 75% are already sold. Making the kits takes many, many hours of prep - ordering supplies, cutting cardstock and ribbon, writing directions, having someone test the kit, making revisions, printing directions, adding directions to each kit, and sealing it up.

The sold out "R is for Rabbit" kit.

After all of the kits are sealed up and ready, it's still quite the process just going through and making sure we fill each person's order and ship them everything they requested. Each order goes through an assembly line of us filling the box, and it ends with me checking it over before the box is closed up.

Nana Susan's Joy Canvas kit - there are still a few available.

Each box (except for flat rate boxes) then gets weighed, and we print off the shipping labels. This labeling process usually takes 1-2 hours, and then it's off to the post office. We ship Priority Mail, so people normally get their packages 2-3 days later. Plus we have our local Cricut friends who like to stop by and pick up their kits in person.

Twine for the Stampede kits.

After everything is shipped off, it's time to start up again. We all have new kit designs that will be ready to show about a week later, and the process then starts over.

Stampede kits. This is round 2, and there are still some availabe.

Be sure to check out our new shopping page HERE, complete with shopping cart. This is a MUCH faster and easier way for you to place orders rather than having to email me to make your requests. Plus the other cool thing is that you can now choose between using PayPal or you can use Google checkout, which allows you to use a credit card. And you don't have to wonder if an item is out of stock - it keeps the inventory for us, so if something is out of stock, it'll tell you right away. And finally, you can actually order directions and download them immediately where ever you see that option to add the directions to your cart. We'll soon be adding more directions to some of our retired kits as well.

Becca's Springy Sunshine Blossoms of Life Flowing through the Bubby River of Breezy Happy Moments Cards. Whew. Just a couple of these kits left.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Be sure to check back tomorrow for another fabulous Guest Designer!!

Happy Tuesday!! Ok, who stayed up late with me to watch the Expression 2 launch on HSN? Wasn't that fun?? I even saw one of Wendy's birthday layouts on there - woohoo!! So far, they have announced 2 winners of the design challenge contest. So the rest of us will have to bite our nails til tomorrow. And speaking of winners - don't forget to leave a comment today for a chance to win the Elegant Cakes cartridge. It is gorgeous and will work in any Cricut - not just the Cake machine!

Here's a quick and sweet card that Nana Susan made for her little grandson who is about to turn 2 years old. See details below...

Welcome to a new week, and new blog candy!!! (See below for last week's winner.) This week, we are giving away a cartridge!!!! Who would like to win the Elegant Cakes cartridge?? It's not just for the Cake machine - it'll work in your Expression or baby bug too! Just make sure you're a follower of this blog, and then leave a comment on today's post. Plus come back each day this week for more chances.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Ours was fantastic! Our family, including Paul & Becca & kiddos, went to church, and then we came back here for lunch and an Easter Egg hunt. The kiddos loved it, and each found about 20 eggs. Here's a few little Easter pics for you...

My Emily. I'll scrap this on my "R is for Rabbit" layout.

She loved the card I made her. See yesterday's post if you missed it.

Samantha, Emily & Kainoa check out their loot.

A little bonus - Kainoa finds a slug on his egg. Yum!

Also, we are VERY excited about the launch of the new E2 in less than 24 hours!!! Who is staying up to watch it on HSN? Me, me, me!!! We're lucky in California, because it'll come on at 9pm our time, which is 12 midnight Eastern time. Be sure to tune in!! And here is the layout that Nana Susan submitted for the contest. Isn't it just too cute? Lovin' her Tea Party theme!! Good luck to all who entered!!

And finally, the winner of last week's blog candy is....

Queenie said...

"I think your card is hilarious and cute. Happy Easter."

Congrats, Queenie. You win any in-stock kit of your choice OR 5 sets of directions. Email me at moniquegriffith@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

I have been wanting to make this Easter card for a long time. It's based on a funny little comic I saw once and it cracked me up. So yes, it's a bit inappropriate, especially since I'm giving it to my daughter. But I can tell you right now she'll love it. Her sense of humor is as messed up as mine is.

The card itself is 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". The white mat is 4 1/2" x 6 1/2", and the striped mat is 4 1/4" x 6 1/4". The chocolate bunnies are from the Easter cart. I think the left bunny was cut at about 3" (on Flip), and the right bunny is 3 3/4" (also with Flip). The background scalloped circle was cut at 4 1/2" with Real Dial Size on, and the grass was cut three times at 2". Everything is inked except the brown cuts. I used a Stampin' Up scalloped circle punch to take a "bite" out of the left bunny's butt, and the right bunny's ear.

The little talkie bubbles are from George. I printed off the sayings on my printer, and then cut them into the talkie bubble shapes. the left one is 1 1/2", and the right one is 1 1/4". Both are inked and shadowed.

This will go perfectly with a treat box I made last year as part of a kit, and never gave it to my little girl. So now I have a lovely matched set. The treat box is also from the Easter cartridge, though I don't recall what size it was cut at - I think somewhere around 9".

Be sure to leave a comment for this week's blog candy - your choice of any in-stock kit or 5 sets of directions. Have a very Happy Easter! And enjoy your chocolate bunnies, hehe!

I am SO thrilled and honored to be a guest designer for my good friends Monique and Wendy! I couldn't be prouder to be associated with these two lovely ladies and have gotten to meet them several times in person! They are beautiful inside and out.

I will be going to Monique's Crop for the Cure on May 1st and hopefully some of their future events! If you are in the San Francisco - Sacramento area you should definitely check them out! They are worth traveling for! If you are going to be there, say hello! I'll probably be one of the only redheads there! Well, that depends on what color Monique's hair is going to be... but something tells me pink! :)

Thank you ladies for having me today!

I wanted to make something Easter themed since Easter is this Sunday so I hope you enjoy some last minute inspiration and I hope you get to spend some wonderful quality time with your family.

Monique, Wendy, and I are HUGE fans of Echo Park so I was excited to pull out their Springtime collection and have some fun!

Wendy and I are on My Pink Design Team together so I wanted to use some of Robyn's stamps as well.

I can't believe I didn't fit any Imaginisce on there! The bling queen is going to be so disappointed in me! (Wendy is the self-proclaimed "bling queen"!) Okay, next time I will BLING it out!

Designer's Notes

I used my Stickles to put little dots in the middle of all of the polka dots so that it sparkles. It's a fun way to make a big print look like a smaller print.

Who says you can't have two types and colors of ribbon on one project. Have fun! It's YOUR creation!

Today, we have a sweet little card made by Becca Rees. And she has so kindly given us all of the details, so check that out below. Also, be sure to leave a comment for her today for a chance at this week's blog candy - any available kit of your choice ($25 value) OR 5 sets of directions ($50 value). And don't forget to check out our Cricut Kits page with snazzy new shopping cart functionality. Oh yeah, we are big time now, baby!!

Becca says...
"I made this beautiful coffee cup card with my little bug friend Cricut. It's a get well card for my sister who is having surgery today. I just hope she remembers. . .HA!"

On a personal note, I would like to request a moment of silence for our messagboard friend and fearless Bug Guide leader, Admin Becky. She was let go by PC yesterday due to "workforce reduction". She is the last person they should have cut, as she made an enormous difference on the messageboard, which is a huge profit machine, and was always there to answer everyone's questions and take care of issues. An amazingly valuable asset to PC, and not replaceable. Admin Becky, you will be greatly missed, and the world of Cricut will not be the same without you!!!

Do you know that Cricuts b-day is this month? Do you know that the new 5th Anniversary E-2 comes out next week? Have you seen it? It is a must have...

I am telling you because that I what I am asking for from my family for my birthday which was yesterday. And my bestie got me the teal one for my birthday too..... I guess we are "as my friend says it" CRICUT HOARDERS.... ha, ha Now for the layout.

Welcome to Tuesday! Around here, Nana Susan owns Tuesdays. Are you all enjoying seeing her beautiful work? Here is her latest creation, "Joy", which is a pair of decorative canvases. This is actually a kit, but she is only making just a few as some of the supplies were a bit tricky to get ahold of. To order, you can email me at moniquegriffith@yahoo.com (include your state and preferred payment method - PayPal or check) - or you can wait until a little later today, and then I should have this added to the new shopping cart on our Cricut Kits page. See below for more project info. And don't forget to leave a comment for Susan, which will also enter you in the drawing for this week's blog candy - any available kit OR 5 sets of directions.

This kit will include the 2 canvases, all of the papers, cardstock, ribbon, flowers, rhinestones, mirrors, lace, etc that you'll need to make the project. You'll also get detailed directions with Cricut Cut Chart and plenty of color photographs, including some step-by-step photos to help you with the process.

The complete kit is only $25, or you can get just the directions for $10. Shipping is available, and is $5 in California or $6-$9 in the rest of the US, depending on location. Combined shipping is also available. This will be ready for shipping April 28th.

By the way, please join me in wishing my bestie, Wendy (aka Bling Queen), a very happy 40th birthday today! Pop on over to her blog to leave your birthday wishes!! Plus be sure to stop by tomorrow as Wendy will be posting a project.

First things first! Since I didn't post yesterday, here's the winner of last week's blog candy - the Liquid Pearls and Stickles. Please email me at moniquegriffith@yahoo.com with your shipping address. Congrats!!

Just A Pac Rat said... "This layout is adorable! Thanks for sharing your great talent with us."

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Ok, now I have a little favor to ask of all of you. Last week when I went for a follow-up appointment at the radiation office, I ran into somebody I know - Angela - a Cricut friend who has taken classes from me before. Anyway, she and her husband were there with their 9 year old son, John Jr., who has a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomysarcoma. It is in his skull and lungs. I met him, and he is the sweetest little kid, and so handsome. He has a LOT to go through, including a solid year of chemo, and he just had surgery to put in a feeding tube. I asked Angela if we could do something for John, and she said he loves to get things in the mail, so if you're able, would you mind sending him a card? It doesn't even have to be handmade if you don't have time to make one. I'm going to be sending him one this week, and hope it gets to him in time for Easter. HERE is his blog, and here's his name and address...

John Hoffman Jr.5835 W. 2nd St.Rio Linda, CA 95673

Thank you all so much! And please feel free to spread the word. I got so many cards when I was sick, and it really does lift the spirit to know that others are supporting you and praying for you!

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Alrighty, now on to today's project. I just spent most of Sunday making this. In fact, it's 2am and the Stickles are still wet. Hope you like it!

The paper and ribbon are from Bo Bunny. I used 6 cartridges on this, which is crazy. I usually just use 1 or 2 carts, but my vision required a variety this time. Below is a list of carts & sizes:

All of the pieces are inked. Plus I added white dots, black dots, and Diamond Stickles. There was quite a bit of layering on this layout, but I wanted to go all out and have some fun with it. Plus I was so anxious to use my new Disney Classics cartridge! This makes me want to take my little Emily to Disneyland for her birthday!

Be sure to leave a comment today for a chance to win blog candy - your choice of any available Cricut Project Kit OR 5 sets of directions!! And stop back tomorrow to see Nana Susan's beautiful altered canvas project.

One more cool announcement - our shopping cart is now LIVE!!!! Woohoooooo!!! Go check it out HERE. And soon, we will add another page that will show the retired projects that have directions available.

Who's in the mood for Easter? Me, me, me!!! I even decided to whip up a little Easter card last night, so I thought I'd share it with you. I made this for Emily's 1st grade teacher, who is just wonderful. This was pretty simple to make, and probably took me about an hour, which is FAST for me!! I'll give you all of the cut sizes and info below, so you can make one yourself if you'd like. And don't forget to leave a comment for another chance at this week's blog candy - a collection of Liquid Pearls and Stickles.

Oh, and since I've had about a dozen emails asking me where to buy Liquid Pearls, I will say this. I now carry them for my local peeps to buy when they're here for classes and crops. If you're not local, but are purchasing a kit that needs to be shipped, I would be happy to add these to your order. I just don't sell them individually online because I can't keep up with the demand, shipping, etc. Anyway, if you do want to add them to your order, just email me at moniquegriffith@yahoo.com. They're $2.50/bottle, and here are the colors I currently have in stock: Silver, Ruby Red, Peacock, Lavender, Baby Blue, Flamingo, Rouge, Ocean Blue, Platinum, Petal Pink, Buttercup, and Bisque.

Here's the info for this Easter card. The card itself was cut from A Child's Year at 6 1/2" - and it cuts the bunnies right out of the card. How cute is that? The word "Easter" was cut from Designer's Calendar at 1 3/4". I cut it in 3 different colors, and just off-set them to give that shadowed look. Finally, the cross was cut from the Easter seasonal mini cartridge at 3 1/2".

When you open up the card, you'll see kind of a card within a card. I tend to do this whenever I make window cut cards, so that you can still see through the front of the card, but doing this allows you to write inside of the card without having the writing show through to the front. Ok, so the inner large white mat measures 6" x 4 1/2". Then the brown "inner card" is cut at 5 1/2" x 8", and folded to 5 1/2" x 4". Inside of the brown inner card is one more white mat, which measures 5" x 3 1/2".

I inked pretty much everything, including the inside edge of the cut out bunnies. And I forgot to take a picture of it, but I took the bunnies that cut out, and I inked them too and then glued them onto the envelope. Btw, I was able to use a standard 5 x 7 envelope. Most of the cards that you can cut from the ACY cartridge will work with a 5 x 7 envelope if you cut the card at 6 1/2". It's a super simple and adorable way to start making a card and then you can add little embellishments to it - I highly recommend trying it out!

The paper used is from Basic Grey - the Hopscotch line, including the solids. The ribbon is from Stampin' Up (Apricot Appeal color), and the flowers are just some fabric flowers I had sitting around. I also added self-adhesive pearls to the middle of each flower. Thanks for stopping by today, and have a wonderful weekend! Also, a huge thank you to Krista Norman for being our Guest Designer on Friday - what a cute and cheerful Easter layout she posted!

Hello again this is Krista Norman your guest designer from BellaandaideesMom.....I am once again honored to design for Monique Griffith Designs this month. Easter is coming at fast speed. I love everything about this time of year, from the bunnies themselves, flowers, eggs, butterflies, the growing vegtables and fruits, I wanted to capture the feeling of all of these elements in my design itself. I hope you enjoy my creation as much as I loved making my vision come to life. Thanks so much to Monique, Wendy, and the rest of the team for allowing me to be a part of this awesome DT.... and thanks to all of you for taking the time to look at my layout~~~Hugs to all~~~~

Details:Accent Accentials Image 48 for Large bunny body cut at 2.5

Accent Accentials 48 for small bunny body cut at 2 inches

AC-Large bunny ears the oval 1 and 1/4

AC small bunny ears 1 inch

AC-Big Bunny outside feet oval 1 and 1/2

AC-Small Bunny outside feet oval 1 and 1/4

AC-Inside large bunny ear Accent 2 and shift on oval cut at 1 inch

AC-Inside bunny ear Accent 2 and shift on oval at 3 /4

AC-big bunny feet little circles on feet 1 /4

AC-little bunny circles on feet 1 /4

AC-The heart for nose 1/4 Big Bunny

AC- the heart for nose 1/4 Little Bunny

For paws on Bunnies AC for big and small the flower number 2...Big bunny 2 and 1 /4

small bunny 2 1 /2 Cut the flower in half to make paws

WIMG-Leaf 2 cut at 1 inch

1 and 3 /4.............CAC-Carrots

Big carrots were cut from Contry Life at 1 inch and 2 and 1 /2

Easter solution cart eggs were 2, 1 and 1 / 2, and 3 inches

Circles for inside flowers using George cut at 1 and 1/2

Basket DoodleCharms-1 and 3/4

Kate's ABC Butterflies...2 inches

George all letters 1 and 1/4

grass made myself and added dimension
Made the hydrangea myself with a punch

About Me

Monique Griffith

Rocklin, CA, United States

The Monique Griffith Design Team consists of 4 Cricut Designers: Monique, Wendy Lawrence, Susan Rees and Becca Rees. We specialize in making Cricut Project Kits that you can make on your own with your Cricut, learning more about your bug in the process. You just need your Cricut Expression, the required cartridge(s), and a few basic tools. The directions come with a Cricut Cut Chart that shows you line by line exactly what you'll need to cut on your machine, with all of the settings for each cut. There are also well-organized written instructions and color photographs. We pride ourselves on our detailed designs, and on teaching others how to most effectively design with the Cricut. Currently, we have have downloadable directions on sale for only $5, and there are over 50 projects to choose from.